Nearly 30,000 people have joined a Facebook campaign to help find a missing father-of-two, it emerged today.

Police are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of gas engineer Alexander Spence.

The 30-year-old was last seen in Hull on a night out with friends last Saturday.

His disappearance has triggered a huge response, with thousands of people joining an online Facebook group set up to help find him.

His distraught wife Clare, 32, who is mother to Alex, four, and 20-month-old Sam, has spoken of the family's anguish as they desperately wait for any news.

Writing on Facebook she said: 'Please if anyone has seen anything, even the smallest detail that you think might be silly just tell the police.

'We are desperate for him to come home and miss him so much.

She told the Hull Daily Mail: 'His two lovely little boys are missing their daddy. We all need him home. I just want him to come home.

'We all miss him so much and not knowing what has happened to him or where he might be is the worse feeling in the world.'

Alexander, an engineer with British Gas, had a few drinks at home on Saturday afternoon before leaving at 7pm.

He met his sister and brother-in -law, who had travelled to the city for the weekend.Eventually, the group ended up in a pub. But at 10.30pm Alexander left to walk home to his wife and children in north Hull.

As he reached home his brother-in-law Alan Bentley rang him and convinced him to return to the pub.

But by 11pm he had not made the half-mile journey.

Alexander's sister Alison called him, only to find his phone was dead. He has not been seen since.

It is believed Alexander had about £20 cash on him. His bank account has not been used. Neither has his phone.

Alexander did not turn up for work as expected on Monday at 8am.

Clare said: 'Whatever he is going through, I want to help him with. Whatever he is thinking, I want to be supportive of.

'He has never done anything like this in the seven years we have been together it is so unlike him.

'He would never just leave his boys they are his life.

'The first thing he does every night when he comes home from work is scoop up the boys.

'He misses them when he just does a normal day shift, so being away for days would be a nightmare for him.'

Mike Lines, a friend who has been instrumental in organising the group on Facebook, said: 'He is not a big drinker and was not a regular of any of the bars. It is bizarre that he just vanished into thin air.

'One minute people were expecting him back in the pub in a couple of minutes, then his phone is dead and he hasn't been seen by anyone.

'This is really out of character and everyone is really worried about him.'

He is described as white, 5ft 7ins tall, with a slim build and with short fair coloured hair.

He was last seen wearing a blue-coloured checked short-sleeved shirt, dark blue jeans and black shoes.